kpwu
long
tale
Walls rushed past her face, enclosing her sight onto her target. She was running as fast as she could, but Brend was running faster still. Running ? She wasn't quite sure. Whenever she caught a glimpse of him, his black robe covered his whole body like a hole in reality. He seemed to simply... move. Not run, glide, fly, float, or anything like that. Simply moving in the purest definition of the word. Or rather, instead of him moving, it was as if the whole world was rushing past him, while he was perfectly still.
She caught a glimpse of where she was. It was a long hallway, made of large and smooth, geometrically perfect blocks of black stone. The blocks, of different sizes, jutted out here and there, making her run more difficult. This wasn't the case for Brend. She wasn't even sure of that name.
He took a sudden turn to the left, too sudden and too perfect to be a real movement. Almost crashing into the opposite wall, Yedor followed. She saw an opening to a large room up ahead. Quickly, she started typing a circle.
She arrived in the room. It was a great square hall, with a tall ceiling. Not so tall that she couldn't see it, though. She immediately launched her circle. Black monoliths appeared on the multiple passages that led out of the hall, trapping the three of them in the cube.
"Playing your little games again, eh ?
-I'm just... Huff... tired of running, that's all... Huff...
-Right, right. Sorry about this quick jog, but isn't it the best way to get the blood pumping ?"
Brend considered Yedor, still catching her breath from the run. He was still carrying Feaser around, who had been knocked unconscious at some point. "I've been wondering, though. Yedor, why are you so suspicious of me ?"
His voice sounded empty. It sounded like it wasn't someone speaking words, but rather something inhuman making sounds that were similar to words. Yedor looked him in the eyes. His face was empty, completely relaxed, with not a shred of emotion behind it. His eyes were empty.
"You can stop the act." She stood up straight. "And you can gently put Feaser down.
-Can I now ? I wouldn't want to hurt him."
An image flashed in Yedor's head. Feaser smashed on the floor, painting it red.
Brend Smiled at her. "How about we negociate ? The way I see it, it would be in our best interest to work together.
-No. Put him down.
-Are you sure ?
-I've dealt with people like you before. You don't scare me. Put him down on the floor.
-But we both have the same interest ! We both want the same thing. Don't you want to get to the earth's core before Devan and Esgol get there ?"
Neither she nor Feaseer had ever said these names. "No. But, it's in your best interest to do what I say."
She showed the so far incomplete circle that was currently on the phone's display. Brend took a step back.
"That would be a very rash thing to do. Do you really want to hurt Feaser ? Is that really what you want ?
-No. But I want you gone more than anything.
-You won't do it. You don't know what you're doing.
-...
-You probably typed this by mistake. I'm sure there's an error somewhere."
How many times had she heard that ? She entered the final character.
Far, far ahead, beyond the ceiling, a small red star sparkled. Yedor looked upon it. She knew the circle was correct. She had verified again and again. Brend looked at the star. His face was still as relaxed as before, and a placid wmile was forming.
"Yedor, Yedor, dispel this circle. Remove that rune. Yedor, Yedor." His voice was calmer than before. It was somewhat... abstract. As if it was breaking down. "Put him down," Yedor answered.
"You know I can't do that." The star grew brighter and brighter, its red glow distinguishing itself into a crimson halo. Yedor looked at Brend again. She locked gazes with him. "Put him down."
Brend was still calm. As calm as ever. "I can't do that. You know I can't." The room was bathed in the intense red glow of the star. It was now clearly a sphere, and no longer just a single pinprick. "Put him down."
"I can't. I can't can't I can't." His voice was slowler and slower. The smile he harbored on his face was wide, cutting a line from ear to ear. It was a toothless smile, one like a proud teacher evaluating with joy the work of his student. The glare for of the star was strong. Yedor had to close her eyelids more and more to shield her eyes. The star took up almost the entire sky, and she was sweating under the intense heat it released.
"Put him down."
Esgol was walking ahead. She had given up hopes of a conversation. She looked to the side into a sideroom, and saw two charred figures onto the black floor. She rushed in.